Like Wildfire
by piper5
Summary: News of Sami's aborted Vegas wedding gets back to Salem. How will a disenchanted step-sibling react to the news? A Broe FanFic (sort of)
1. A Surprise for Brady

The following fan fiction contains characters owned by the writers and producers of Days of Our Lives. This fan fiction is purely for entertainment purposes. 

A Surprise for Brady

Brady was walking through the penthouse when he heard a knock on the door. He walked to the door and opened it.

Br: Well, look who's here.

Ch: Hello, Brady.

Br: What are you doing here?

Ch: (sighing) You know why I'm here.

Br: No, I don't .

Ch: (coyly) Brady…

Br: (laughing) Come on in.

Brady stepped aside as Chloe entered the penthouse.

Ch: Well, you've been talking about this for weeks and I know that you've been thinking about this for months. So tonight, all of your dreams will come true. Close your eyes, Brady.

Brady looked at Chloe suspiciously and slowly closed his eyes. He stood there, waiting for Chloe to end the mystery. He heard the sound of something being unzipped. He raised his eyebrows.

Ch: (purring) Keep your eyes closed or you'll ruin the surprise.

Brady stood there, anxious to know the surprise. He scrambled to remember if Chloe was wearing something, equipped with a zipper. He hoped that she was. He could feel her standing very close to him and grew more anxious as each second passed.

Br: Can I open my eyes now?

Ch: (purring) Oh, absolutely.

When Brady opened his eyes, all he could see were colors, bright, vibrant colors. Their intensity made his head ache. He stepped back so he could see clearly.

Ch: Ta da! Isn't it great?!

Brady covered his eyes and tried to readjust his focus.

Ch: All of the months of waiting will end tonight. We are going to do it, Brady! We're going to do it before your parents, Belle, and Phillip return from Vegas. It doesn't matter if it takes all night. It doesn't matter if it's on the couch, on the floor, or standing up. And I guarantee that you won't be disappointed.


	2. Bad News for Brady

Bad News for Brady

Brady slowly regained his focus.

Ch: Just look at this! The deluxe director's cut DVD of Moulin Rouge. Chocked full of easter eggs, to satisfy your male urge to explore…

Br: (disappointed) Yeah, my male urge…

Ch: What's wrong? You seem disappointed.

Br: (sighing) I'm not. I was just expecting to spend my time… actually doing something.

Ch: Are you kidding? Moulin Rouge is a glorious Technicolor spectacle. Come on, Brady. Let's watch it tonight.

Br: Okay. I'll see if we have some snacks and you can take care of setting up everything in here.

Ch: (smiling) Sweet!

Brady laughed as Chloe scrambled to get everything ready. As she walked away, the phone rang.

Ch: (panicked) Oh, no. They must have found out.

Br: Found out what?

The phone rang again.

Ch: They found out that we're watching Moulin Rouge.

The phone rang again.

Br: Chloe, who are 'they'?

Ch: (glassy eyed) 'They' are the people who want the movie musical to die. Just when Baz Luhrmann bore us this exquisite creature, known as Moulin Rouge, 'they' want to bash in its skull!

Br: (staring at Chloe) OMG, Chloe. What has gotten into you?

Chloe smiled as Brady stared at her.

Br: Maybe you should pull the drapes. The black helicopters may have us under surveillance.

Chloe giggled hysterically as Brady walked toward the kitchen. The phone rang for the fourth time.

Br: (laughing) The machine will pick it up.

Chloe continued to giggle as she rearranged the pillows on the couch.

Answering Machine (in John's voice): Hello, this is the Blacks' residence. If you have a message for me, Marlena, Belle, or Brady, please leave it after the beep. We will return the call as soon as possible. BEEP!

Belle: (in an upset tone) Brady, if you're there, please pick up.

Chloe looked up as Brady walked to the phone.

Be: Please, Brady. This is an emergency…

Br: (picking up phone) Tink, what's the matter?

Be: (crying) Oh, Brady.

Br: (pressing the mute button) Excuse me, Chloe.

Brady took the cordless phone into the kitchen.

Br: Okay, Tink. What's going on? What wrong?

Be: I have some bad news, Brady.

Brady heard sobbing in the background. He grew more uneasy.


	3. News Travel Fast

News Travel Fast

Chloe sat on the couch, fixated on the tone of Belle's voice. 

Ch: (to herself) Geez, Belle sounded terrible. Even worse than when she found out about Shawn. I hope that everything's fine in…

Her cell phone rang.

Ch: Hello?

Phillip: (shaken) Hey, it's me.

Ch: Phillip. What's wrong?

Meanwhile, in the kitchen…

Br: (panicked) Is it Dad or Marlena?

Be: No, thank G*d. It's Sami.

Br: (rolling his eyes) Sami? What about her?

Be: (crying) Austin dumped her.

Br: Excuse me?

Be: Austin dumped Sami.

Br: (smiling) What happened?

Be: He wouldn't go into details, but he said he never wanted to see her or hear from her, ever. He said this to her in front of us, including Kate, Lucas, and Nicole. He walked out on her, just left her in the chapel, in a crying heap on the floor. It was horrible…

Br: (eyes gleaming) Oh, I'm sure it was. (propping his feet on the table) Now Tink, I want you to start from the beginning and don't leave anything out.

On the balcony…

Ch: Austin dumped Sami? That's terrible.

Ph: I guess.

Ch: What do you mean 'You guess'?

Ph: Look, Chloe. You don't know about all of the things she put him through. This thing has been going on for over half my life and it's about time that it ended.

Ch: But still, I feel bad for her, getting jilted in front of everyone.

Ph: Don't be. It couldn't have happened to a better person.

Ch: Hmm…

Ph: What, Chloe?

Ch: I was thinking that the whole student body thought the same thing about me.

Ph: Chloe, you're not the same person as Sami.

Ch: No, but just as many people hate me as Sami…

Back in the kitchen…

Be: How can he do this to her, Brady?

Br: (to himself) Because his brain finally kicked into gear. (to Belle) I don't know, Tink.

Be: What Austin did was unforgivable…

Br: Tink, I realize you are still hurting over Shawn, but this is different. Austin has tolerated a lot and I suspect that Sami pushed him to the brink.

Be: That's a pretty cynical take, Brady.

Br: Not to someone whose been paying attention to this saga. This is just like Phillip and Chloe, only they have less angst under their belts, no thanks to you.

On the balcony…

Ph: Austin dumping Sami isn't the same thing as me dumping you. Sami put Austin through a lot. Hell, she was making a fool of him.

Ch: People said that I was making a fool of you.

Ph: Chloe, let's not fight about this.

Ch: Fine.

In the kitchen…

Be: Brady, I know you don't like Sami, but…

Br: But nothing is worth getting into an argument with you. Tink, I have to go. I'm sorry that this trip went south for you. It was the last thing you needed. And please, don't worry about Sami.

Be: I'll try, Brady. And please, Brady, don't tell anyone what happened. The fewer people who know about this, the better.

Br: I won't. I love you, Belle.

Be: Love you too, Brady. Bye.


	4. Letting it Out

Letting it Out

Brady hung up the phone and began to process Belle's account of Sami's non-wedding. As he imagined Sami's tear-stained face and her shrieks as Austin walked away, Brady could feel a rumble in his gut. He covered his mouth and put his head on the table. He was shaking, nearly convulsing. He knew if he lifted his head, it would be over. But Brady had to do what Brady had to do. Brady lifted his head, took a deep breath, and threw his head back.

Br: BAHHAAAAA HAAAHAHHAAAAAAAHAA!!!!

On the balcony…

Ph: Chloe, our relationship isn't the same as Austin and Sami's. Sami has lied to him, over and over, and yet my brother forgave her, over and over. There comes a point when you have to cut your losses and move on. Austin reached that point, after ten years. We can talk about this when I get back. But I wanted to talk to you about us…

Ch: (anxious) Um, Phillip. I have to go now.

Ph: Wait a minute. We have to talk.

Ch: We will, when you get home.

Ph: Okay. I'll see you soon.

Ch: Okay. Goodnight, Phillip.

Chloe hung up. She thought about what Phillip had said. She knew that he resented Sami, especially for that dirty trick she pulled in Paris. She could understand his loyalty to his brother, but something that he said bothered her.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen…

Br: HAHHAAAHAAAAAHHAAAAAAHEEEHEEEE!!!!

Brady continued to laugh as he prepared the snacks for he and Chloe. He placed a bag of pretzels in a bowl. He took out a tray and placed the bowl on it. He used the counter to steady himself because he felt another wave of laughter coming on. He tried to hold it in, but couldn't.

Br: HEHEHEEEEEEEEEEEHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHEEE!!!

He rested his head on the counter and pounded his fist against it. He shook his head as he thought about Sami's smugness weeks ago and her apparent devastation tonight. Another wave of laughter consumed him. He slowly lifted his head and saw his reflection in the silver toaster. His eyes were bloodshot and his face was bright red.

Br: (laughing) Okay, Brady. You need to get yourself together. You promised Belle that you wouldn't tell anyone about this, but judging from your face, it's a cinch that something bad happened to Sami. You need to calm down and get this laughing jag out of your system. You've got a beautiful girl waiting for you in the living room. You can let Sami's misfortune, or rather, her comeuppance, ruin your evening. Get it together.

Brady went to the sink and splashed his face with cold water. He dried his face with a paper towel and threw it away. He went into the refrigerator and retrieved some sodas. He didn't open them, since he didn't have confidence that the waves would cease when he carried the tray.

Br: (picking up tray) Please, give me strength.


	5. Facing the World

Facing the World

As Chloe walked into the living room, Brady entered the living room with the tray of snacks. He carefully placed the snacks on the table and he sat on the couch. Chloe looked at Brady's flushed face.

Ch: (concerned) Brady, are you alright?

Br: (biting his lip) Yeah, I'm alright.

She noticed Brady's eyes were bloodshot and his face was twisted.

Ch: (sitting next to him) Do you want to talk about it?

Brady shook his head. He began to shake again. Chloe placed Brady's head on her shoulder.

Ch: (quietly) I know about Sami.

Br: (sitting up) How did you find out?

Ch: Phillip told me.

Chloe placed Brady's head on her shoulder and gently touched his cheek.

Ch: Brady, I know that this is a difficult time for you and your family.

Br: (stifling laughter) I… wouldn't say that.

Ch: You don't have to pretend, Brady. It must have been traumatic to see Sami getting dumped by Austin. Just imagine how humiliated Sami must have felt.

Brady began to shake again and his face was getting hotter. He could feel the tears flowing. Chloe felt a tear on her shoulder.

Ch: I know how she must have felt. Last year, when Phillip dumped me, it felt like the lowest point in my life. Sami must have felt worse, considering the many years she had with Austin. Ten years, of loving a man, and in the blink of an eye, it's over. Oh, no. This is a thousand time worse, since this happened on her wedding day. And apparently, she never had a wedding day that ran smoothly.

Br: (shaking in laughter) Yeah, that's true.

Ch: This can't be easy for you, Brady. I mean, Belle and Sami have their parents to lean on, but you have no one. Listen, Brady. Holding it in can't be good for you. Please tell me what you're feeling.

Br: (sitting up) No, I don't think that it's a good idea…

Chloe could see the pained expression on Brady's face. She placed her hands on his cheeks and looked into his eyes.

Ch: Please, Brady. You can trust me. Whatever you're feeling, just let it out.


	6. Letting it All Hang Out

Letting it All Hang Out

Brady looked into Chloe's eyes and could see her concern. He felt like a skunk for worrying her. He felt a tsunami-sized wave of laughter roared from him. He fell back on the couch, screaming in laughter. Chloe sat there, shocked by Brady's reaction. At first, she thought that Brady was crying, but she realized that he was in total, euphoric glee. As he cackled, she grew angry.

Br: (laughing) BAAAHAAAAAAAAAHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAHAAAAHEEEE!!!

HEEEEEEEEEEHEEEEEEEEHEEEE!!!!

Ch: By far, you are the meanest, cruelest…

Br: (laughing) HAAAAAAAHAAAAAAAAAHEEHEEHAAAAHHHHHHEEEEE!!!

Ch: It isn't funny.

Br: (laughing) HEEHEEE….Yes…HAAA…it is…HEEHHEEEEHEEEEEEEEEE!!!

HAAAHAAAAAHHHHHHHAAAAAAAHEEEEEHEEEHEEEE!!!!

Ch: (glaring) Knock it off, Brady!

Br: (laughing) HAAAHAAA… I… can't help it…HAAAHAAAHAAAA!!!!

Ch: (nostrils flaring) If you don't stop, I'm leaving.

Br: (laughing) HEEHEE …Do what you gotta do, Diva…BAHHHAAAAAAAA!!!! Damn…I …can't breathe… HEEHEEE!!!

Chloe glared at Brady as he writhed on the couch. She straddled him and gently slapped his cheeks.

Ch: STOP IT!! STOP IT!!!

Br: (laughing) HAAHAAA… I can't…HEEEHEEEEEEEEEHHHHHEEEEE!!!

Chloe picked up a cushion and hit his head.

Ch: STOP IT!

Brady snorted at Chloe hit him with the cushion.

Ch: (giggling) Did you just snort?

Br: (laughing) SNORT… Yeah…HEEHEEEHEESNORT…

Chloe started giggling as Brady snorted. She tried to stop herself by placing her head on his chest. As she buried her face in his chest, she could feel Brady calming down. He hiccupped some giggles, but his breathing was returning to normal. Chloe was shaking, which caused Brady to become concerned.

Br: Chloe, sweetie,… are you okay?

Ch: (looking up) I'm okay.

Brady looked at her and could see that she was biting her lip.

Ch: (giggling) I'm okay, seriously.

She snuggled close to Brady.

Br: Chloe, I'm sorry that I behaved like that. You just don't know how much I hate that girl. To me, Austin running out on Sami is the male equivalent of Ellie running from Wesley in 'It Happened One Night'. It's a great moment for mankind… I'm sorry that I've ruined our evening.

Ch: No, you didn't. That phone call did.

Br: Yeah, it did. It's obviously the work of 'them'.

Ch: Don't make me laugh again.

Br: So you still want to watch Moulin Rouge?

Ch: Yeah…

Chloe closed her eyes as she listened to Brady's heart. She snuggled him as he rubbed her back.

Br: (quietly) So…where is the remote?

Chloe opened her eyes and quickly sat up.

Ch: (embarrassed) Oh, it's somewhere…

Chloe began to look for the remote and Brady joined her. They both reached under the couch cushions and grasped the remote at the same time. They looked at each other. Brady gently squeezed her hand and smiled.

Br: I guess the hand that holds the remote controls the universe.

Ch: (staring at Brady) Yeah.

Br: (standing up) Let me help you up.

Brady extended his hand and Chloe lifted herself up. She sat on the couch as Brady walked to the door.

Ch: What are you doing?

Br: (smiling) Turning off the lights. I don't want lights to distract me from… enjoying the movie.

Ch: Oh, okay.

Chloe picked up a cushion and placed it on her lap. Brady seated himself next to her.

Br: (looking at Chloe) Let's get started.

Ch: (nervously) Okay.

Chloe pressed the play button.


End file.
